Article by
Barbados Today

Published on
April 4, 2013

KINGSTON — Deputy Island Bishop of the Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ (Apostolic), John K Hewitt, has rallied that organisation to speak out on issues affecting Jamaicans whether it is “for good or for bad”.
Urging the body to “speak up and speak out”, Hewitt said the church must break its silence on “the pervasive homosexual agenda, child labour, kidnapping, women’s issues, indiscriminate labour laws and corruption in high and low places”.
Hewitt told congregants, during the opening ceremony of the 43rd Annual General Convocation in Kingston on Easter Monday, that as the organisation “we are well able to make our presence felt in the nation by being a voice; being vocal on the issues that run against the grain of righteousness”. This, he said is important, as righteousness still exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people.
“Speak up in love, don’t accuse us of being homophobic. We are not saying stone anybody but we must speak out against that which runs counter to God’s original plan for man, woman and family,” Hewitt said.
“Give it whatever name you want, call it alternate lifestyle but that’s just an euphemism to sanitise what is reprehensible and wrong in God’s sight.”
‘End of days’ signs
Driving home the message in a rousing sermon, the deputy island bishop said the pervasive alternative lifestyle agenda and marriage equality being endorsed and embraced by presidents and men in high places around the world, are among the signs of the ending of the world.
He noted that there is a new normal, where what was abnormal and wrong in the past is now held up as the new normal.
The world-wide increase in natural disasters and the toppling of economies across the globe, according to Hewitt, are a further witness that the world has run its course. (Observer)